If you’re reading this post, chances are great that you’ve had a hard time turning your website visitors into customers?

So, you’ve read all the web copywriting tips from the experts and you’ve applied them all! You used a catchy headline that promises the reader a strong benefit. Your opening paragraph is killer hot. Your subheads include good keywords. You wrote the Home page as if you were speaking to one person. You remembered to set off the key stuff with bullets points and bolding. You didn’t forget the compelling call to action. You even posted a video and have a sign-up box offering a valuable freebie, blah, blah, blah.

Still, customers are not beating down your virtual door to get in. And you’re asking yourself, well, why the heck not? What am I doing wrong?

Here’s the deal. In my experience, after working with clients who have had this very issue, this is what I’ve learned:

When your potential customers go online in search of companies that sell your product or that offer the type of services you do, they come across a bizzillion businesses that do what you do. These companies, just like yours, have websites that follow the same canned blueprint. So, how is a potential customer supposed to choose you over your competitors when you look just like they do? How will they ever know that you really ARE the best life coach, networking group or real estate lawyer.

To increase the likelihood of turning your website visitors into leads, getting that customer to nod their head “yes” and hit that “click here” button, or call your 800 number or fill out that contact form, YOU MUST:

Target Your Ideal Customer

Take a look at your features. Then take a look at your benefits. Write them down in a list. Then look at the customers you currently market to. Is there a subset of that group that you could target? If you are a daycare center and you are targeting all parents, you’re jeopardizing your chance of attracting a higher number of customers. Why, because your messaging will be too general and diluted. The magic, the pull is in specificity, not in vaguely talking to everybody who might consider your services. If you only serve vegetable entrés, don’t market to all people who eat in hopes that carnivores will be hungry enough to consider dining at your restaurant . . . Market to vegetarians and vegans!

. . . , which brings me to the next requirement.

Select Your Ideal Target Audience in Your Marketing Headline

Your message will be much more effective if it’s clear that you are speaking directly to a subset of that group – working parents. Why? Babysitters can target all parents. Daycare centers are ideal for working parents. When your headline does not select your target, the folks who really need to hear you in great numbers don’t because you are not singling them out. If you are talking to tax payers, say so. If you are talking to students, say so.

Examples:

Are You Looking For a Good Paying Part-Time Job While You’re In College?

Are Your Children Safe, Secure and Happy While You’re at Work?

Is It Time for You to Be the One Who Decides What Time You Will Be Reporting to the Office?

Why does this matter? It matters because, when you’re not specific, it’s sort of like shouting something on a crowded street that could apply to anybody walking down that street. What happens is, some people may turn around. Most won’t. However, if you call out, Hey Michael, there’s almost a 100% chance that everybody named Michael is probably going to turn around. And then the Michaels will be anxious to hear the next thing you are going to say because “he” wants to know if it applies to him or to some other Michael who’s nearby.

Nail the Hook

Come up with a hook that captures the essence of your service or product or your brand’s promise that your ideal customer finds irresistible. The idea is to create a hook that’s not a rehashed generic promise that many of your competitors make. Many life coaches tend to do this with headlines such as “Live Your Best Life Now,” “Find Your Passion,” Have What You Desire.” To the Internet shopper who’s looking for color, it’s like looking into a big sea of beige. Every business looks the same to them. You want your business to be the lime green in that sea of beige!

A marketing hook is an element about your benefits that captures the potential customer’s attention and reels them in. It’s a message that strongly, directly and unequivocally resonates with your potential customer’s emotions. For example: In that earlier example talking to working parents about their kids, the words “safe, secure and happy . . . while you’re at work.” All daycare centers offer arts and crafts, nap time, field trips, snack time, music instruction, etc. But how many broadcast to you that the primary benefit is that they are, in essence, going to be your clone while you’re away. It doesn’t get any better than that for the parent whose eyes can’t be on their baby at all time because they have to work! All that other extracurricular stuff fine and dandy, but it’s secondary to a mommy or daddy.

Marketing to your ideal customer, selecting the ideal customer in your headline and a including a compelling hook in your message are 3 MUSTS if you plan to attract a greater number of customers and kick your competition’s ass!

To compete in the new marketplace, your business needs exposure. One of the best ways to do this is to generate business publicity . . . even on a small scale. Thankfully, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to get that publicity. You do, however, need a practical marketing strategy if you expect to have some success. By consistently implementing a variety of no-nonsense marketing objectives, your business can begin to acquire enough of the limelight to effectively generate leads and prospective customers. Here are five easy starting points:

Coordinate a workshop for business publicity

Host a complimentary workshop through your local education program, small business association, or chamber of commerce. Structured properly, a workshop can pull in numerous participants. Additionally, you can distribute online press releases about the workshop, or offline via local television networks, which can provide the basis for targeted business publicity.

Pitch your story to newsletters

Newsletters are always on the lookout for fresh, modern content. Since newsletters need original information continually, tell them why their readers would enjoy and benefit from reading more about you and your company’s services. If and when they accept your piece you’ll receive free business publicity for your company. Ensure that you look into the most recent editions of the publication you are trying to feature in. Be aware of their specific writing style and see to it that your press release conforms to their standards of publishing.

Become visible online

Many, and I dare to say, most consumers are browsing the web to discover what they desire in your area. These consumers utilize search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Increase your online visibility by partnering with a company that provides cost-effective local online marketing solutions for small businesses. You may also want to consult with someone knowledgeable about SEO as well to ensure the main search engines find you online – whether it’s your presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or your own website or blog.

Partner with a local charity

Give back to the community and gain recognition and business publicity through charitable acts. Consistently recycle the retained earnings into your local community and the social consciousness will increase the fiscal latitude of your business. Unplanned opportunity will follow.

Learn from the competition

Mimic the steps your competitors have taken to garner business publicity. Learn what makes your competition’s brand stand out. Determine why their most loyal consumers are attracted to their brand. Analyze the competitor’s sign, design and marketing messages. Determine if the trademark is consistently located on the packages, labels, vouchers and products. Compare and contrast the differences so that you will know how to approach the consumer.

Don’t wait. Start integrating some of the above-mentioned methods. If you use these approaches consistently, before long you should begin to see an increase in the number of leads coming to your website or your brick and mortar business.

—————————-

Author Bio: Casey Haslem – is a young writer whose hobbies include reading, painting and pretending she knows how to write a book. She loves meeting people and making new friends. Writing opens up a whole world of new ideas and possibilities for her.

These masters of persuasion perfected the art of the sales letter starting in the 19th century with copywriters like Robert Collier and Leo Burnett. Along came such greats as Claude Hopkins, David Ogilvy and Joe Sugarman to perfect the art of the sales letter. Hear what the masters of persuasion had to say about crafting a winning sales letter — apply this wisdom to your landing pages and other offers.

Join me on June 6, 2013 at 1:00 p.m., at Fabienne Fredrickson’s free Client Attraction webinar and discover the step-by-step formula for attracting ideal, high-paying clients. Getting clients doesn’t have to be a frustrating struggle anymore. Yes, it can be that easy to attract the types of clients you want to work with, and you will be able to do so quickly and consistently.

This is the ultimate shortcut, ‘step-by-step’ system that removes all the guesswork, waste and frustration out of consistently attracting all the ideal, high-paying clients you need, once and for all (even if you’re starting from scratch) . . .

Seventy-seven percent of small business owners report that e-mail marketing increased their revenue and that $1.00 spent on e-mail marketing $40.00 in revenue.* Many businesses are smartly discovering that e-mail marketing can be a vital part of their business. It’s a great way to keep in touch with customers and to invite them to special deals for your freelance services (or products, if you have any). The information and tips in this article will explain some of the practices you should engage in or avoid to ensure the success of an ongoing e-mail campaign.

1. Rather than purchasing or renting a mailing list, build your own from the ground up. You can do this by including opt-in forms on your website or blog, gathering business cards at conventions or other industry events, and encouraging your subscribers to share your e-mails with others, which can garner even more subscribers. Of course, I would suggest creating a downloadable piece of content, preferably with instructional information that your target audience will find of value to them. The idea is to trade your free content for their e-mail addresses.

2. Always get permission! Unsolicited e-mail is not welcome, and in certain cases, can get your ISP blocked. The last thing you want is to be branded a spammer.

3. Be especially careful when crafting your first three e-mails to new customers. A new customer should get an introductory e-mail inviting them to join your marketing list. Once they accept your invitation, the next e-mail should tell them about discounts or special offers they can expect to get now that they’ve signed up. The third e-mail should contain their first newsletter and their special offer.

4. Make certain that it is easy for your recipients to opt out of receiving further e-mails. Not having a way to opt out can cost you customers since some of the people who wish to opt out might like your business and your products. They may simply wish not to receive e-mails. The process that you put in place should include asking for feedback as to why they are opting out. The information you receive can help improve your campaign.

5. Try to make it as easy as possible for customers to unsubscribe from your e-mails. By not making it simple, they will feel like you are being too pushy and may be turned off from your product or business. Give them the option to opt out from some of your e-mails or all of them.

6. Everyone knows that e-mail filters are getting more and more strict. Graphics and other things included in e-mails are blocked out, so a reader might not even see what you are trying to say. Therefore, a good piece of advice is to use plain text with a hyperlink to your site.

7. Utilize engaging e-mails and target customers who are inclined to use or share knowledge about your services. Make sure you are also soliciting feedback from them. Getting feedback from targeted customers is key to knowing what you can do to make your marketing strategies even stronger and more effective.

8. What worked for you before might not work for you the next time around. That is why it is vital to always look into new e-mail marketing strategies. Learn from others in your business niche, and always try out new methods to add to your arsenal of what works for your business.

It is a well-known fact that the use of the Internet has opened up an entirely new way for businesses to interact with customers. E-mail marketing is one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with loyal customers and to reach potential customers. Use the techniques and tips from the article above to create an e-mail marketing strategy for your business.

My colleague, Bob Bly, author of 70+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls “America’s top copywriter,” shows you how quickly and easily you can . . .

“Write and Grow Rich!”

If you’re thinking about starting a freelance copywriting business now or have started one already, you’re in luck. Bob Bly, in his infinite marketing wisdom, has developed a proven and systematic way for writers to build a successful freelance business . . . just as he and many of our colleagues have done.

You’ll see in a moment Bob Bly’s best-selling writer’s manual Write and Grow Rich is much more than just your run-of-the-mill writer’s guide. It’s brimming with practical methods you can use to quickly and easily start and run your own well-paying freelance writing business.

If you’ve got a website or blog and want to generate more leads for your freelance copywriting business, you’re in luck. Optimize your website to get found by more prospects and convert more of them into leads and paying customerswith HubSpot’s all-in-one marketing software.

Inbound marketing (attracting people to your site) is the way small businesses that are in-the-know think and act. But, of course, if you’re not a tech geek, online marketing and web design are tough, if not impossible.

Hubspot’s Inbound Marketing System has revolutionized the ease and power of what your freelance copywriting website or blog can do and be. As you’ll find out in a moment, Hubspot’s marketing software is more than just a mere traffic generator. If you simply follow Hubspot’s system and use their tools, you’ll find yourself ahead of 90% of other freelance copywriters who are still living in the ancient times.

Why spend massive amounts of time searching for and then researching the most practical ways to optimize your first freelance copywriting website. Hubspot will do that overwhelming legwork for you!

HubSpot’s software gives you everything you need to make marketing that copywriting clients will actually love – earning quality leads and loyal customers in return.

Although this post was written with freelance copywriters in mind, it can apply to other freelancers.

One of the most promising methods for generating leads for any freelance copywriting business is networking. But, like anything, in order for your presence at a networking event to work, you can’t pussyfoot around. You have to go for the gold! To go for the gold, you have to know what you’re doing. Sadly, so many people who say networking is an “okay” marketing practice don’t achieve the great results that are begging to be achieved because they are – plain and simple – going about it in the wrong way.

Successful networking takes planning. Don’t get nervous, it’s not rocket science. Nor is it too time-consuming, but you do have to be committed, and you have to be willing not to take short-cuts. People who do that are kidding themselves and are the very folks who complain that “It’s not working.” Of course, it’s not working – for them! Showing up and handing out your business cards, or attempting to sell your product or service to people you meet while networking is a sure-fire way to alienate potential business contacts. Your goal is to cultivate a community of evangelists, to experience the same money-spinning outcome that master networkers experience.

Networking is about crystallizing relationships, establishing trust. It’s about communicating that unforgettable core message about your freelance copywriting brand that your fellow networkers HEAR and REMEMBER so that when a copywriter is needed, it’s YOU they remember to refer. It’s about being the answer to their financially driven prayers, their problem solver. You want it to be your business card they’re fumbling through their briefcase looking for. THAT’s what you want. That’s why you network.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have people lining up to work with you, people willing to wait until you have an availability to work on their project?

I’ll answer for you. Hell yeah!

Now, let’s talk about “the how.”

How do you virtually guarantee that networking leads to continued success for your freelance copywriting business? Answer: You Prepare.

STEP 1 – Find Out Who’s Attending the Event – The ultimate purpose of networking is to build your business. While, as you will learn later, anyone can be a great referral source, you still want to make a point of talking with people whose businesses are complimentary to your freelance copywriting business. For example, that graphic designer on the list of attendees, the ad agency owner or the digital marketing manager may have overflow work for you in the near future. Of course, this is certainly not something you will bring up at the event. However, it is a subject for which you should be well-prepared to discuss for as long as they like, if they bring it up. Since, in all likelihood, everyone will be wearing name tags, it probably won’t be too hard to spot them. Often, networking hosts ask that you write your company name on your tag as well.

If the event has a website, check it out to see if there is a picture of the person and send it to your phone or print it and tuck it away somewhere. Try to find out a little about their business, so you can make meaningful commentary (one or two points only; don’t be over-the-top). Read their reason for attending the function, if it’s posted, so that your contribution to the conversation can stay within those parameters.

STEP 2 – Craft Your 15-second Promise – Some people refer to this brief description of your business as the “elevator pitch.” This introduction is something you share with business people you meet when they ask you what your business is about or what you do. I prefer to call this story a “15-second promise.” The most efficient way to tell your story is to include your freelance business’s brand promise in the spiel. Your brand promise is what all of your customers experience when they work with you. It’s why your customers like working with you. It identifies what potential customers should expect from all transactions with you. Your brand promise is who you are.

The other component of the 15-second promise is a very streamlined, four-sentence case story, featuring a true statistic that highlights the way your copywriting improved a client’s business. Stories are compelling. They give the listener a visual. It’s provable, and it says to the listener, “that could happen to your business if you stick with me.”

When you sit down to develop your brand promise, keep in mind, it must be: clear, compelling, concise and credible.

Hi Stacey, my name is Ron. I am a graphic designer. What do you do?

Hi Ron. I write marketing material that helps companies attract customers. For example, I crafted a brochure for a day care center that helped them increase their enrollment by 100% in a couple of months. And then the city forced the school to create a waiting list.

STEP 3 – Ask Good Open-Ended questions, Listen While You Let Them Talk – This simply means asking questions that begin with “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” or “how.” The idea is to generate a conversation that demonstrates to the person that you are interested in hearing about them. Ask them, “How can I help you?” and “What can I do for you?” They will get around to asking about you. The best way to learn more is to let them talk. The more they talk, the more you learn how you can help them, or the more you learn about ways their business and/or who they know complements your freelance copywriting business goals. Don’t pre-judge. Sometimes you discover invaluable things. They may know just the type of person you’ve been looking to connect with. You never know who another person knows or what they know just by looking at them.

STEP 4 – Write a Memory-Jogging Note on the Back of Their Business Card – After the event, you will follow-up with all the people you met that day. While at the event, casually jot down notes on the backs of the business cards you receive. Write something that will help you remember who that person is. Write something you can insert in an email that will show them they made an impression on you, perhaps something they said or alluded to.

STEP 5 – Follow-up that Night – After the event, take an hour or two, while the event is still fresh in your mind. Open a file with the function date, the name and place of the function and create a spreadsheet for it. On that spreadsheet, add the contact information from each of the business cards. Go to their about page or linkedin page and copy a picture onto your spreadsheet to help you remember them months afterwards. Also on the spread sheet, add the notes that you jotted down on the backs of their business cards. Add any more information that you recall them mentioning, particularly the answer(s) they gave when you asked “how can I help you…” Then write a “Nice to Meet You” email to the people with whom you made contact. Add a brief piece of info from the card (not everything you remember) into your email so that it has a natural sounding flow and does not sound staged when you read it aloud to yourself. Every email should be original. Do not use a boilerplate email. Someone at the event may forward your email to someone else you met. You don’t want that next person to see that they weren’t important enough for you to take five minutes to come up with an original thought.

STEP 6 – Reach Out 6-8 Weeks Later – Six to eight weeks after the event, send something complimentary, non-solicitous, that could help them with their business or with their copywriting. Remember, your spreadsheet will have notes about them and about areas where they need. Take an hour or so (as part of your marketing schedule) and go through mailings or postings you’ve received that include webinars that may interest them or some other function that may help them with their business. Go through your emails to see if someone asked you to refer someone with their expertise and make an email introduction. This will come back ten-fold! At the conclusion of your email, you can say , if they have any questions, they can email or call you. The idea is to stay fresh in their minds – in their minds as that helpful writer they met.

Networking is a great, low-cost marketing approach for building your business and expanding a client base for freelance copywriters, making this career a rewarding journey. However, like anything, you have to work it. And, as far as my experience has shown me, it is certainly one of the best ways, if not, the best way to build your freelance business. It works, but you have to do it consistently. Make it a regular part of your marketing strategy if you want to get serious about freelance copywriting. You will see the fruits of your labor. I’ve seen the benefits of networking. I’ve had waiting lists of my own as a result of networking, to the point where I needed to take a hiatus from networking because I got a bit overwhelmed with incoming work. Do it wrong and you’ll miss. Do it right and you’ll hit.

BONUS: Below are Links to Three Trusted Sites You Can Use to Find Networking Events:

P.S. Want to learn about networking?Learn how to network so that you get great results from it and feel authentically yourself the whole time. World-renowned Fabienne Fredrickson shares ALL of her secrets in The Secrets of Master Networkers Manual.

P.P.S. Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System®, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, enter your email address below right away.

This phenomenal training call is brought to you by Fabienne Fredrickson, the founder of Client Attraction.

For those of you who don’t know, ClientAttraction has been ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies for 2011! And it’s identified among the Top 100 for fastest-growing women-owned companies.

Join Fabienne Fredrickson tomorrow – FREE tele-training on how to quickly attract all the high-paying clients you need- http://bit.ly/wfVn6w

Freelance copywriters have a great deal to offer business owners – large and small. In this Internet-happy market, this is where your website is supposed to work for you. Yet, many copywriters sometimes forget this simple bit of wisdom: Focus on the customer, not you – the copywriter. Anything you say should mirror what you think your potential target customer would want to know in order to decide if you are the right copywriter.

They want to if you are the right copywriter for them. Your website should tell your prospects how they will benefit by hiring you. How you save them time. Show them that you can capture the attention of the market they wish to sell to. Prove to them you have the experience or know-how to write blog posts for them that will drive traffic to their websites.

The copywriting program you graduated from is neither here nor there. These are business owners (not law school admissions directors). They are looking for writers whose web pages say:

• Can you sell their stuff to their customers?

• Do you have skills to change their customers’ minds about something?

• Can you assist in their social media efforts so that they can raise their company profiles and generate more leads and more clientele?

• Can they afford you?

• Do you have the credentials that demonstrate you can do the job?

Your website content should show and tell your potential customers these the answers!